Almond

Located in the famed home of Rocco DiSpirito's failed reality show restaurant, the traditional French-American "Almond" offers a high class menu at a reasonable price, which may be exactly what the doctor ordered during these rough economic times.

While dining at "Almond" the other night, we transformed their typical menu in an enjoyable tapas-style meal. We started off with the Select Cheeses ($14.75), which included four different pieces: a buttery Gorgonzola, a Parmigiano-Reggiano with balsamic vinegar, a particularly creamy Mozzarella, and a light Camembert. In addition to the slices of cheese, the plate came equipped with both dried cranberries and dried apricots, as well as walnuts and slices of toasted bread. The platter was very nice, but somewhat generic.

Next, we had the Escargot ($11.50), which was cooked in a butter-based garlic and Pernod sauce, and topped with small cubes of toasted bread. I found the snails at "Almond" to be particularly enjoyable, since they were not particularly tough, and the garlic-Pernod sauce created a delicious flavor.

We followed with another mollusk: Steamed Black Mussels ($9 for small, $15 for large). The mussels were served in a white wine sauce with shallots, and topped with parsley. The mussels themselves were standard, nothing to write home about. The sauce however was quite enjoyable. Light but extremely flavorful.

We finished with "Le Grand Macaroni & Cheese," which included penne served with prosciutto and chopped truffles ($18.25). In my opinion, it was a little overpriced for macaroni and cheese, but it was worth every penny. The cheese was still warm and filled with distinct flavors, and when mixed with the ham and truffles, the dish was absolutely delicious.

"Almond" was an enjoyable and I'd highly recommend it to any diner. And after the failure of both "Rocco's on 22nd" and "Brasserio Caviar and Banana," it's nice to see a success.

P.S. While I really enjoyed my cocktail, I was advised by a fellow diner that it was too limey. I had the St. Germain cocktail, which included gin, St. Germain elderflower liquer, and fresh lime.


Almond
12 East 22nd Street
(at Broadway)
(212) 228-7557 Read More!

Brunch B: Blue Water Grill

Yes, I know that it has been almost a week since I last posted on my blog. These past few days have been quite hectic, and well, I had absolutely no motivation to sit down and write this post. But here it is...

Last weekend, I finally went to Blue Water Grill for brunch, and had a very enjoyable experience.

With the brunch menu at Blue Water, you receive a complimentary beverage. My selection: the SKYY Bloody Mary. For some reason, I was craving tomato juice with a splash of Vodka and a touch of cracked pepper. Ah, perfection.

My meal selection was boring: Eggs Benedict. Standard, I know. But it is after all my favorite. And since hundreds of men and women have used Eggs Benedict as a cure for a hangover since it first appeared at New York's Waldorf Hotel in 1894, I decided that I too would use it for my hangover.

Like any other Eggs Benedict, it consisted of a half of an English muffin, topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and then covered in a rich Hollandaise sauce. At Blue Water, it was served with a generous portion of home fries, which in my opinion were quite good. Just the right amount of peppers and onions so that they spiced the dish up but didn't take anything away from the potatoes.

Overall, a very nice experience and I would certainly return to the Blue Water Grill again for brunch. Recommendation: sit on the first floor. I felt that the upstairs was a little claustrophobic and removed from the excitement of the restaurant.


Blue Water Grill
31 Union Square West
(at 16th Street)
(212) 675-9500 Read More!

Brunch A: Vento

Enjoyable, but satisfactory. Those two words describe my recent experience at Vento Trattoria in New York's Meatpacking District.

On one end, the atmosphere at Vento was excellent. Its prime location in the Meatpacking District offers fantastic people-watching along the street, especially during warm weather. Last Saturday when I was there, the weather was perfect. Sunny, but a few clouds overhead kept the temperature from reaching uncomfortable levels.

Now onto the cuisine. Vento is actually one of the few Italian words that I am familiar with. It means wind. And let's just say that the food at Vento Trattoria did not blow me away.

Between the two of us, we ordered two dishes. For some reason, I've always had a sensitive stomach in the morning, so I went with my stereotypical brunch selection: the Classic Benedict ($12). Just your average Eggs Benedict: an English muffin, topped with Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty, and it did its intended trick -- to soothe the effects of a night's carousing -- but it did not sweep me off my feet.

Also on the table was the Parma Pizza, which was a regular pizza pie with tomato sauce and mozzarella, topped with prosciutto and arugula. Again, the pizza was very good. The crust was thin and there was a perfect amount of sauce with an adequate amount of prosciutto. They went wild with arugula though. Too much in my opinion. But overall, the pizza did not blow me away.

I did enjoy my meal, and would certainly go back. But if I was looking for a restaurant with an innovative and exciting menu, Vento would not be on the top of my list.


Vento Trattoria
675 Hudson Street
(at 14th Street)
(212) 699-2400 Read More!

Bar Stuzzichini

Bar Stuzzichini was my most recent dining experience in New York's Flatiron District, and despite being concerned about the restaurant because of its fairly empty dining room (during the Sunday lunch hour), I found everything that I ordered to be, well, delicious.

We started the afternoon off with the large Stuzzichini Misti, which was essentially Italian tapas. Five plates for $25. I decided to be adventurous and let a Stuzzichini-regular order since I had never been there before.

We started off with Scamorza alla Brace (normally $8) which is a Scamorza cheese (similar in taste to a mozzarella, but notorious for melting better in baking) that is then topped with with a spicy, grilled meat. Nice flavor, but I felt that the meat was much too powerful for the cheese.

Next, a simple, but classic Italian specialty: meatballs in tomato sauce (normally $7). The sauce was not too heavy which was nice. Light, but not watery. And the meatballs were very good: adequately seasoned, and they appeared to have been cooked in the sauce instead of in the oven, which I prefer.

Prosciutto di Parma (normally $10) came next. What can I say? It's prosciutto. You either like it or you don't.

Probably my favorable part of the meal was the Ricotta e Miele Crostini (normally $4), which was a light, whipped ricotta cheese, placed on top of a small crostini, which was then drizzled with a saffron-infused honey sauce. I have always enjoyed dishes that are both sweet and salty, and this dish certainly fell into that category. The bread and the ricotta were obviously on the saltier side, but the slight touch of honey added the perfect pinch of sweetness to dish. As I write this, I'm craving another order.

Again, I've become much more adventurous in the past few weeks, and was willing to try grilled octopus (normally $9). It had been cooked and then drizzled with olive oil. I was not looking forward to trying it, but we ordered it, and my dinner date was accurate when he said it tasted like chicken. And it did, a combination between chicken and rubber. A good combination though.

Our next dish was not part of the large Stuzzichini Misti. It was part of the restaurant's weekend brunch menu: Maccheroni alla Carbonara ($14). The spaghetti was served with traditional guanciale (an unsmoked Italian bacon) and egg yolk, and was topped with black pepper and shavings of pecorino. I felt that the pepper in the dish, combined with the spices used as a rub for the guanciale made the dish a little too spicy, but not necessarily in a bad way. Just a surprising way. It certainly wasn't your typically bland Pasta alla carbonara.

And of course I shouldn't neglect our personal carafes of Prosecco di Conegliano ($12 each).

Overall, a very pleasant experience. I have yet to return to Bar Stuzzichini for a weekday meal, but I plan on going back soon. In the meantime, try their weekend brunch. I think you'll find it quite enjoyable.



Bar Stuzzichini
928 Broadway
(between 21st and 22nd Streets)
(212) 780-5100 Read More!

Nine the Movie

Yes, I know that the trailer for "Nine" came out nearly three weeks ago, maybe even a month ago at this point, but I think that it looks absolutely fabulous. First of all, the music -- in general -- is amazing, and it's directed by Rob Marshall of "Chicago" fame. Second, the cast is the definition of an all-star cast. Six Academy Award winners. One Academy Award nominee. And a Grammy winner.

Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Guido Contini, an Italian director who is facing a midlife crisis that is stifling his creativity, while at the same time, he is attempting to balance the numerous women in his life including his wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard), his mistress Carla (Penelope Cruz), his muse and protégé (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer Liliane (Judi Dench), an American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Fergie) and his mother (Sophia Loren).

And p.s. I have never been a huge fan of Fergie, but she sings the song in the trailer ("Be Italian") and it sounds awesome!

Now I will be anxiously awaiting November 25th! Read More!

Momoya - Chelsea

Another date, another enjoyable restaurant. This time, Japanese in the heart Chelsea: Momoya.

We started off simple: edamame and sake. The edamame ($5) was typical. Baby soybeans that had been boiled and were served with salt. A little too much salt in my opinion. The sake was delicious however. We ended up splitting two bottles of Tokimeki ($26 -- 300ml). In the past, I have never really enjoyed sake. I find it to be too bitter. That being said, I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to sake, but the Tokimeki was outstanding. First of all, it was a sparkling sake, which was something that I had never had before, but it was crisp and refreshing. On top of that, the Tokimeki was fruity, which made it a very pleasant drink.

Next, we moved on to the meal. Our first appetizer was Beef Tataki ($11), thin slices of beef, lightly seared and placed in soy-based au jus. Very enjoyable plate. Topped with a kaiware salad (sprouted daikon radish seeds), it reminded me of a perfect, slightly chilled summertime meal. After we had finished our plate, we sampled a dish of raw Yellowtail amberjack in a citrus-soy sauce which was topped with sliced jalapenos ($10). The fish was fresh and delicious, but I felt that there were too many jalapenos, which overpowered the flavor of the fish and sauce. By simply pushing them to the side however, the problem was easily fixed.

Our sushi then arrived. First, we sampled the Salmon Crunch roll ($10), which had spicy salmon paired with mango and avocado, as well as crunchy rice. While the salmon was very fresh and the roll had a lovely assortment of flavors, we both agreed that the Salmon Crunch seemed to be too heavy.

While we were consistently satisfied with our meal, I must say that a particular dish stuck out for me. I had never eaten eel before, and had no interest in ever trying eel. But there it was, sitting in front of me. A slice of eel, held on top of a bed of rice by a piece of seaweed, and then lightly drizzled with teriyaki. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.

With Momoya, the dishes aren't wildly innovative, but being innovative isn't Momoya's goal. Their goal is to make a pleasant and enjoyable meal. They offer a comfortable and familiar menu, with your standard appetizers, sushi and sashimi as well as conventional main courses.

Overall, a very enjoyable experience and seeing that it's only a few blocks from my apartment, I will certainly return in the future.


Momoya
185 Seventh Avenue
(at 21st Street)
(212) 989-4466 Read More!

Changes on Washington Square Park

Last month, the Archdiocese of New York agreed to not only demolish the Catholic Center at N.Y.U. but to also sell the plot of land that it was on to the university. For weeks, students and residents of Greenwich Village had no idea what would replace the building. Curbed however recently revealed the design for the new N.Y.U. Center for Academic and Spiritual Life at 58 Washington Square South...






Read More!

Tía Pol

Since returning to New York City in December I have been particularly interested in finding an enjoyable tapas restaurant in my neighborhood. After sampling Casa Mono & Bar Jamon (which I was quite disappointed with), I finally found one near my apartment in Chelsea: Tía Pol.

I went there on Sunday night for a date, and arrived at the door without knowing a single thing about the restaurant, except for what the web page had told me: according to the owner, Tía Pol is a traditional tapas restaurant, which features small plates from various regions of Spain, from Galicia to Andalucia, from the Basque Country to Cataluna.

Naturally, we started the evening off with amazing sangria. They used what I believe was a Spanish Tempranillo, and topped it off with apples and brandy, and just enough ice to chill the sangria, but not enough to water it down.

And now for the tapas...

We started off with croquetas de jamón y croquetas del día ($9). For those of you who do not speak Spanish -- myself included -- we had ham croquettes and the croquette of the day, which was a shrimp croquette. I personally felt that the ham croquette was a little generic, it was however one of the better ham croquettes that I have had. The shrimp croquette on the other hand was delicious. The flavor of the shrimp was clearly present, but did not overpower the potato or the fried exterior.

Next, the pan con tomate ($8), which included two toasted baguette slices, topped with a tomato puree. It was simple, yet extremely refreshing. The tomato seemed lightly chilled and was blended perfectly with the olive oil, and the seasonings really added to dish as a whole.

We then ordered both plato de quesos de la casa and embutidos ibericos. The first, plato de quesos ($7.50) was a plate of assorted Spanish cheeses, including manchego, garrotxa and valdeon. Each cheese was paired with an accoutrement, such as a nut or berry. The dish was served with baguette slices. Very simple dish, I know, but I cannot resist the power of cheese.

The embutidos ibericos ($16) was a plate of assorted cured Spanish meats, which included an aged, spiced ham (similiar to an Italian prosciutto), chorizo palacios (a dry-cured, mild sausage with a smokey flavor), and lomo embuchado (a dry-cured pork loin seasoned with smokey pimenton).

Our final plate was a special for the evening (price unknown since my date was kind enough to pay). It was cochinillo asado, a tender slice of suckling pig topped with a mild sauce. Hands down one of the best suckling pig experiences that I have had within the past few years. The skin was crispy, but not nearly as tough as I would have expected it to be. It was easy to bite. Enjoyable in fact. And due to the amount of collagen in the young pig, the meat was extremely tender.

Overall, I must say that Tía Pol was quite enjoyable. The staff were friendly and attentive. One concern that I had with the restaurant was with its size. It is very small, tiny in fact. But I must say, it is quite intimate, and there seemed to be plenty of space at each table, and just as much space at the bar.

Overall, Tía Pol is most definitely worth a visit.


Tía Pol
205 10th Ave
(between 22nd Street and 23rd Street)
(212) 675-8805 Read More!